Jihadi Jack’s parents ‘spoke to ex-terrorists who help people leave Isis’

The court heard they said they knew people who 'help Jihadists who went to Syria and Iraq and then found it wasn't what they expected.'

The parents the Isis recruit nicknamed ‘Jihadi Jack’ contacted former terrorists living in Britain in a desperate attempt to get their son to leave the death cult, a court heard.

Sally Lane, 56, and John Letts, 58, are accused of trying to wire £1,723 to their son Jack Letts knowing the money could be funding terrorism.

The court heard how they messaged their son on Facebook telling him they had contacts who ‘help Jihadists who went to Syria and Iraq and then found it wasn’t what they expected’.

Speaking to their son in December 2015 said: ‘They are ex-Jihadists themselves. They might be able to help you.’

Another message from the same day reads: ‘BTW if you are sincere in wanting to speak to committed Muslims who are ex-recruiters, etc, I can put you in touch with them.’

The court previously heard how Jack Letts commented on a picture of British soldiers on Facebook saying: ‘I would love to perform a martyrdom operation in this scene’ and shared a photo of a hotel in the Iraqi city of Mosul.

Callum takes a huge risk with Ben in EastEnders

The jury heard how both parents met with Hanif Qadir, the principal of Active Change Foundation charity set up to prevent radicalisation.

They spoke face to face in Mr Qadir’s east London office to try and establish what Jack was doing.

Recalling the meeting, Mr Qadir says his parents were still clinging to the belief he could be in Syria working as a translator or clerk rather than a fighter.

He said: ‘I think the parents and I assumed it was either IS or another organisation.

‘It was not quite clear but what they assumed was he was an interpreter or an administrator for those who were arriving from Europe.

foul-mouthed mother 'spits at elderly woman' for taking her child's subway seat

‘I think I made it clear to them that he was a westerner with a good command of Arabic.

‘Based on where he was, in Raqqa, it was unlikely he was going to go unnoticed and knowing IS and the other organisations – well he could be doing anything out there.

Mr Qadir told the couple from Oxford that even if he was an administrator or interpreter ‘it does not make it any better because he is part of a terrorist network’.

He added: ‘I think they wanted me to give some understanding of how they can manage this.

600-pound drug dealer is so obese makeshift courtroom had to be set up in ambulance

‘They wanted help. I recall saying to them I will have to figure out where he is mentally, emotionally, physically, and how deep rooted his feelings are in this kind of network.

‘It was to ascertain as to where he is in his belief system- if there is any chance of him coming back or open to reformation basically.’

Mr Qadir told the Old Bailey he advised the parents it’d be wrong to send money to Jack.

He added: ‘It is very hard sometimes for parents to accept that their son is involved in something bad or doing something bad.

‘On a number of occasions both parents broke down in front of me and understandably so.’

Earlier the court heard how Lane and Letts tried to convince themselves their son couldn’t fight because he was short sighted and had lost his glasses.

In an interview with a detective at their home in November 2015 Lane said: ‘I know this sounds daft, but it could make it work in our favour if he can’t see because if he can’t see then he can’t fight and maybe it would be to our advantage you know not to not to get him glasses but then I kind of thought that is ridiculous.

‘You need glasses for everyday life not just to, and I don’t think he is, I don’t think he is a fighter.

‘I mean we still think he is on the religious side of things not on the military side of things.’

Letts and Lane deny three charges of entering into a funding arrangement for the purposes of terrorism.

The trial continues.